This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A bill that would mandate that the state seek reimbursement from the federal government for costs that have to do with illegal immigration was approved Tuesday. Lawmakers, in an 8-2 vote, passed HB262 in the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee. The bill now heads to the House floor. The bill was passed over in a past meeting, but bill sponsor Rep. Karen W. Morgan, D-Cottonwood Heights, said she was asked to bring it back. HB262 would require that the attorney general complete a study and produce a report of how much the state spends on costs that result from illegal immigration. Rep. David Litvack, D-Salt Lake City, voted against the bill and requested that the state look at the overall economic impact of illegal immigrants in Utah. Later in the meeting, the committee decided to move HB239 to its next meeting. The bill would repeal a law that allows undocumented immigrants to get a driving privilege card. But a committee member had a concern that some legal U.S. immigrants might be affected. - Jennifer W. Sanchez